


You'll be the poison, you'll be the cure

by dooklarue



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Ghost Chara, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Redemption, References to Undertale Genocide Route, Selectively Mute Frisk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-01-22 01:46:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12470736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dooklarue/pseuds/dooklarue
Summary: The angel has come, and the underground runs empty. This time, Frisk has chosen the path of mercy, but their past can never be fully erased.





	1. New New Home

 Nobody voiced any concerns about the child. After all, who would be so callous as to treat the young savior of monster-kind like any cruel human? The unspoken consensus among the newly freed monsters was that Frisk was simply a sweethearted child, and any thoughts to the contrary were an unfortunate residue of years spent living in fear and resentment.  
 So, Toriel did her best to take care of the child, and said nothing about the irrational nagging fear in the back of her head. Papyrus stayed totally positive, making no connection between Frisk and the odd feeling he got sometimes that his head wasn't on quite right. Undyne still had bizarre and violent dreams of being stabbed, turning to dust and back again, but she shrugged them off. Alphys quietly revisited old maps of the underground, and found herself tracing all the secret tunnels and hard-to-access paths that could've been used if something had gone seriously wrong. Asgore admired the child and was happy to let them play with Asriel and Chara's toys, but his gut twisted with anxiety when they started waving Chara's blunted toy dagger around. The dagger, along with his gardening shears and the butter knives in the pantry, were all put away securely the next time they visited.  
 Sans was less convinced by the kid's gentle nature. He more or less had figured out about the resets, and he couldn't help feeling that Frisk hadn't always been so kind. The memories came easier when he knew that there was something to remember, and he had foggy visions of his own death.  
 Monsters had only been on the surface for a few weeks now, but Toriel had already purchased a nice house. Settling in was no challenge; when she had first moved to the underground, and then to the ruins, she had developed a talent for making even the most intimidating of new places feel like home. Old books she'd read a thousand times joined new ones written by humans on her shelves. Just like that, new memories and friendships were created and valued, and everything was the same but different in the best possible ways. The fireplace crackled with fluffy, lukewarm flames. Sans was sitting with Toriel in the living room, exchanging jokes like they used to. It was a bit different without a door between them, but this too was better this way. As Sans had always said, the best way to judge a joke's success was by watching the person's face.  
 "hey tori, i feel like we should be golfing right now." Toriel's snout twitched as she tried to anticipate where this was leading.  
 "Why would we be golfing?" Sans' grin, while really more of an illusion than an actual smile, seemed genuine in this moment.  
 "i think we should go golfing, because it's almost fore in the afternoon." Toriel snorted with laughter.  
 "Oh, yes! Fore! That is a good one." Her expression suddenly shifted to guilty alarm. "Oh, dear, it totally slipped my mind! Frisk's bus arrives home at four. I want to be there to pick them up."  
 "alright, you go get them. i'll stay here if you don't mind." Toriel giggled as she stood up.  
 "I do not mind, although I think you're really just a lazy bones." Sans shrugged. He wasn't about to disagree with her. "Oh, and Sans?"  
 "mhm?"  
 "If you are not going to be coming with me, perhaps you should check on Flowey." She narrowed her eyes, glancing towards Frisk's bedroom. "In all honesty I do not know why I'm allowing him under this roof, but... Frisk seems to care about him, so perhaps there is some good deep in there. Anyways, for better or worse, I think it is best that someone check in on him from time to time." Sans nodded.  
 "sounds fair. i'll do that." Already, an idea was forming. Flowey, being an anomaly of his own, might know something that could soothe, or at least confirm, Sans' fears. Though he pretended not to care very much about anything, he could not truthfully claim to be  _sans worries_ , and one thing that scared him most was the idea of not knowing.  
 Frisk's room, like the rest of the house, was already quite comfortable. Frisk's bed sat adjacent to a nice dresser, upon which was a bright yellow potted daisy. Afternoon sun filtered through the window, bathing it in a spotlight that would have looked serene if it hadn't been this particular flower, who immediately turned to glare at Sans. "flowey." Flowey had been attempting to read a book about snails, although turning pages didn't come easily for his leaves.  
 "What?! I'm busy." Sans lifted the book up, over Flowey's head. "Hey!"  
 "don't worry, i'll leaf it open to your page." He placed the book down on Frisk's bed. Flowey, unable to fight back or even retrieve his book, simply looked up at Sans with an expression of utter disgust. Sans was honestly somewhat impressed that the flower could bear such a contemptuous look in such an unassuming form. "i want to talk to you about frisk."  
 "Frisk? What about them?"  
 "they're real nice, huh? wonder how they do it." Flowey was subtly nudging himself towards the edge of the dresser. He'd sooner fall to the floor and cause a scene than cooperate with whatever the skeleton wanted out of him. Sans, sharp-socketed as he was, put a hand on the pot's rim to keep it in place.  
 "How they do it?"  
 "yeah. i mean, is anybody really that nice?" Flowey shuddered slightly at this, remembering clearly how Chara had betrayed him.  
 "Probably?" He narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?" Sans shrugged.  
 "i'm just saying, it's weird. just forgiving everyone who tried to kill you.." He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, an odd and very deliberate gesture considering that he was a monster without lungs. "but i guess it couldn't have been that bad, because they never died," he concluded.  
 "Well, uh.. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, duh! If they died, they wouldn't be here. That would be it. The end. What kind of idiot even needs that said?" He spoke with the sort of hesitant yet faux-confident pacing of someone who knew he was digging his own hole every time he opened his mouth. Truth be told, he was literally digging himself deeper at that very moment, his roots anxiously scraping the bottom of the pot.  
 "yeah, that sounds like it should be right."  
 "It is." Flowey was clearly agitated. He knew that Sans knew something, but he had no way of knowing what, or how deep his knowledge ran. He also didn't know, if Sans were to find out too much, what the consequences might be.  
 "just a regular old mortal kid with a good heart and a whole lotta bravery, huh?" His tone was flat and slightly sarcastic.  
 "Yes," Flowey snapped. "Obviously. Now leave me alone."  
 "okay, nice talk," Sans said abruptly, knowing that this would go nowhere. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out of the room.  
 "Wait, give me back my book!" Sans paused for only a second.  
 "i will. sometime." He shut the door, muffling any further objections from the flower. He headed back to Toriel's living room, where she was looking on as Frisk dumped the contents of their backpack on the coffee table. She looked up and waved when Sans entered. He didn't abandon his casual slouch, but he did stand up a little straighter, appreciating the lighter atmosphere.  
 "Oh, Sans! I hope you do not mind that I didn't tell you we returned, I did not want to interrupt."  
 "that's fine. how was your day, kiddo?" Frisk gave a thumbs up. "nice."  
 "Frisk was just showing me all the homework they have yet to do." Indeed, there was a mountain of books and worksheets on the table.  
 "oh jeez, that is a lot. i'm sure it's easy for a smart kid like you though." Frisk offered only a sheepish shrug. "alright. hey kid, if you ever have a question about homework... don't ask me." He winked. Frisk nodded with a small smile, picked up an armful of homework, and then headed to their room.  
 "What a diligent child," Toriel remarked, her voice warm and loving. No amount of misgivings could keep her from caring for the human. They were her child, and she was more than happy to give all the love in her soul to them. When Frisk got to their bedroom, away from the adults, they threw their stuff down on their floor in a disorganized heap.  
 "Bad day, Frisk?" The child turned to look at the flower with a bitter smile.  
  _I'm not Frisk_ , they signed out. Flowey blinked, then offered a nervous smile of his own.  
 "Oh, thank stars. I need to talk to you."


	2. The Knife Incident

 

    Some were afraid of Frisk because, in some small, hidden corner of their soul, they remembered. On the other hand, some feared Frisk because they had forgotten. True, monsters and humans had lived in peace for thousands of years, but that peace had been shattered so long ago. No living human could possibly recall what it had been like back then, and a small fraction remained utterly convinced that monsters were a threat. Frisk, by extension, received a fair deal of antagonism from these people.

    Toriel sat in the elementary school office, her paw tapping the floor nervously. She watched as kids streamed past in the hallway. They were mostly human, but a few monsters were already included in the mix. Finally, Frisk entered the office.

    "Oh, hello, child." Frisk, naturally, was silent. They sat next to her, holding her hand. Comforted by the gesture, she patted their hand. "Do you know why we were called here?" It was a genuine question, and she was afraid to know the answer.

    Frisk looked down and carefully signed, _People don't like monsters. Chara doesn't like people._ Toriel blinked, alarmed at this.

    "Chara? Chara is- my child, I'm afraid I don't understand." She shook her head, letting the odd statement go as a man approached her.

    "Mrs. Dreemurr?"

    "It's actually just Ms.," Toriel corrected. "Uh, greetings! You would be Mr. Fox." Mr. Fox nodded. Toriel reached out a hand, which he shook very tentatively, as if he thought she would rip his arm off at any moment.

    His office was somewhat cramped, but he offered the two chairs with a smile and sat down on his side of his desk.

    "Has Frisk told you why you both are here?" Toriel shook her head, increasingly worried. "Well. I'm sure you know, Frisk is quite famous, for... Controversial reasons. Not that we discriminate here! However, uh, despite our best efforts, there have been some bullying incidents." Toriel sighed, upset but not surprised in the least.

    "That is what I was afraid of."

    "Now, it appears Frisk has tried to stop the problem themself." Toriel looked at Frisk with a small, proud smile. Frisk couldn't look her in the eyes, instead electing to stare down at their feet.

    "Oh, well that is good! They have excellent conflict resolution skills." Mr. Fox's face was grave. Toriel felt a pang of concern. She couldn't understand why both of the humans seemed distressed by this information. "Is there a problem?" He cleared his throat.

    "Ms. Dreemurr, I don't know what your idea of 'excellent conflict resolution skills' is, but... We found this in their backpack." He reached into a drawer and, with shaking hands, placed a large knife down on his desk. Toriel's eyes widened in horror. She looked to Frisk, who was still cowering shamefully, and then to the principal.

    "You're sure this wasn't a mistake? I'm sure Frisk wouldn't... Uh..." She put a hand on Frisk's shoulder. The child looked up, their face scrunched up as they tried not to cry.

    "They already confessed." Frisk nodded in confirmation.

    "Oh, dear. Frisk, what made you think this was acceptable? I know that you know better." Her voice lowered slightly as she addressed the principal again. "They did not.. Hurt anyone, did they?"

    "No, thank god." Frisk tugged Toriel's sleeve urgently.

    _Mom, I wouldn't hurt anyone,_ they insisted, hands moving so fast that Toriel could hardly read them. _I promise_.

    "I never thought you would, child. It is just, well, I really never thought you would bring a knife to school either. I am just confused and disappointed," she explained in a soft voice. "I truly do not understand, but I am very sorry for any fear they might have caused, and I will ensure that this never happens again. Thank you for informing me of the problem."

    "Now, going forward... School policy requires three days suspension for bringing weapons on school grounds. So, Frisk will stay home for the length of the suspension, and you will be responsible for keeping them caught up on work during this time." Toriel nodded. Of course, this was not a problem for her. She counted her blessings for that, because with this news, she had plenty else to worry about.

    "That's quite alright."

    "Well, uh, that's it. Thank you for your time, Ms. Dreemurr." He seemed slightly less anxious than he had been at first, but still not entirely comfortable with the monster and her child.

    "Thank you, Mr. Fox." She stood, nudging Frisk that it was time to go. They reluctantly followed, clinging to her dress as the two left. It wasn't that they wished to remain in the principal's office, but they seemed afraid to do anything at all.

    That night, Toriel sat on the side of Frisk's bed, reading a story aloud like she had done every night since they left the underground. Usually, Frisk fell asleep before she finished reading, but this time, they were still awake when she shut the book.

    _Mom, I'm sorry_ , they again apologized.

    "I know." Toriel's mind was buzzing with fear and confusion, but she kept a calm and motherly face for Frisk's sake. The worry even arose that perhaps her own anxieties about human-monster relations that had caused this. "Good night, Frisk. I love you." She shut her book, set it down on the floor, and left, closing the door as softly as she could.

    She threw herself down in her big armchair (similar to the one she had in the ruins, except without any of the flaws that had resulted in it being thrown out, or those that had accumulated after years underground.) She looked at her paws, then at the photos of her with her children; Asriel, Chara, and then Frisk. She looked at the knife that now lay on the coffee table.

    Eventually, she grabbed her phone and, very carefully, typed out a phone number.

    "hey, this is voicemail. i'm probably sleeping, but you can try to leave a message i guess." Toriel sighed.

    "Sans, I am sorry to bother you at this hour, but I did not know who else to call. I am very scared."


	3. The Knife Incident Part Two: Electric Boogaloo

 

     Toriel and the child stood at Undyne's door.

     "What's this? Where did you even get this?!" Undyne examined the knife in her hands with an utterly baffled expression. Toriel grit her teeth and tried to smile, although her patience was running incredibly thin at this point.

     "It's yours, is it not?" Undyne shook her head, attempting to hand it back. Toriel refused to take it, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms firmly across her chest.

     "Not mine, I don't use knives."

     "Undyne, if you'd please, this is not a time for jokes." Frisk clung to her leg, looking up at Undyne with a strange expression halfway between fear and irritation.

     "Jokes? Hell do you think I'd joke about this for?" Toriel cleared her throat. "Right, sorry. But I swear I don't use knives! I have no idea what this is about." Toriel took in a deep, extremely controlled breath.

     "How and why, then, do you think they brought a knife to school?" Undyne's fins flared in alarm.

     "They brought it to school?! Stars, uh, I don't know." She thought about it for a moment. "I've told them how dangerous knives are. I got rid of all mine when Papyrus cut off one of his fingers, it was awful. They know this." She looked down at them pensively. "Er.. Unless they wanted to be dangerous?" Toriel nodded gravely.

     "That's what I was concerned about. I wanted so badly to give them the benefit of the doubt, but if it was truly not for cooking, I simply cannot think of any other purpose." Undyne knelt to look Frisk in the eye, staring them down as if she could read their intentions. Then she looked back up at Toriel.

     "Look, I haven't always been the most peaceful person." Frisk snickered slightly at her impressive understatement. "Yeah, punk, you know what I'm talking about. Sorry about all that, by the way. But, I feel like maybe I should talk to them, since I do kind of get it. Not that I think this is any more acceptable than you do, but, you know?"

     "The principal says that they were being bullied by other students, and suggested that perhaps it was retaliation." Undyne made a face. Despite their rough introduction, she'd grown very attached to the child, and now felt just as protective of them as she had been of the monsters.

     "Well, maybe I find it a little bit more acceptable than you do. But it's still bad! Still, don't do that!" She hastily reassured. Toriel rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly.

     "I had a feeling. But yes, I would appreciate that." Undyne nodded dutifully. "Well, I suppose I should go tend to some errands while you two are talking it out."

     "Alright, see you later!" Undyne led them back into the kitchen of her apartment. Once she got there, she leaned against the counter, eyeing the human thoughtfully.

     "So, uh.." Before she could finish her thought, they were signing out a message to her.

      _Let's practice sparring._

     "Yeah!" She paused, realizing that this was not a very good idea, regardless of how much fun it did sound to her. "I mean, no! No sparring. I'm supposed to be telling you how bad fighting is! Don't try to derail me!" They smiled. She huffed in irritation, but then smiled back. "Look, this is serious. Fighting's not the answer to everything, and there can be real consequences."

    _They were trying to hurt me._ Again, Undyne had to fight down the surge of protective righteous anger at the thought of them being harmed.

     "But so was I, wasn't I? You think some stupid bullies are a more worthy enemy than me? If you didn't need to fight me, there's no way you need to pull a knife on them." She was genuinely a bit offended at the implication, now that she thought about it.

    _But I did fight you._ Undyne frowned. _Don't you remember?_

     "What are you talking about? You just kept running away until I couldn't chase you anymore. You never even tried to land a hit on me." The human smiled.

      _You don't remember._ She shook her head.

     "I have no idea what you're talking about." They looked almost smug. Suddenly, they grabbed the knife off of the counter where Undyne had set it, and brandished it at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

      _Remember now?_ They asked with one hand, the other gripping the knife with white knuckles. Undyne summoned a spear, holding it at length so that the human couldn't lunge at her without getting hurt.

     "You tell me what's going on right now," she growled, torn between her warrior's instinct to protect the human, and to protect herself. The human shrugged. They then cleared their throat.

     "Greetings, Undyne," they said. It was the first time anyone had ever heard them speak. Undyne grimaced, her fins flaring in anger. This was not the gentle, silent human she knew. This was not her human.

    "What did you do with Frisk?!" She demanded. The human before her laughed softly. Undyne took a half-step forwards, her spear now at the human's neck. Luckily for them, it was blunt, more suited for bruising than slicing.

    "Please don't," they said, in a self-assured tone that said it was more advice than plea. "Mom would kill you." With that, they carefully sidestepped the spear. Undyne didn't move, aware that they were right, although she loathed it. Whatever this thing was, it looked just like Frisk, and Toriel would never let anyone lay a hand on her child.

     "I won't, if you tell me who you are and what you did to the kid," she hissed. The human shook their head.

     "They're taking a break. I am Chara." They reached out their free hand for Undyne to shake. She shook her head with a perturbed scowl. No way she was going to shake hands with this _thing_.

     "I'm not gonna- Chara? Wasn't that the kid the Dreemurrs adopted before, the one that killed-"

     "The very same," Chara cut her off sharply. They sounded a bit irritated now, in contrast with their previously smooth and confident voice.

     "But you- they died! I don't know what kind of sick joke this is, but I'm not putting up with it. You have one more chance to tell me what the hell you are and what you're doing.."

     "We've already established that you can't threaten me," Chara insisted with a teasingly angelic smile. "But I guess I should probably explain."

     "You really should," Undyne agreed through gritted teeth. Chara paused, thinking for a second, while Undyne resisted every urge telling her to annihilate them immediately. "Well?!"

     "How can I put this," they murmured. "Well, what do you think would happen if I stabbed you right now?" She cleared her throat and pointed the spear at them again. There was only so much she could take. "You'd die," they answered, an anxiously manic smile growing on their face. "Or, maybe not." They didn't want to explain anything, and really, they didn't even know how to explain it. All Chara could do, to Undyne's chagrin, was try to call on lost memories.

     "What are you talking about?" The doorbell rang suddenly, and Undyne very nearly stabbed Chara in alarm. They looked to the door anxiously. Undyne ran to get it.

     "Hello, my errands took less time than I-" Undyne cut Toriel off sharply.

     "Something is wrong," she blurted out. "Something's really wrong." The human dropped the knife and tried to play innocent, but it was too late. Undyne would have explained what had happened, anyways, but Toriel needed only that brief glimpse of her child clutching a knife to understand just about as much as Undyne did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was really late, I've been pretty busy and just kind of stressed with a lot of things. I'm honestly kind of disappointed in myself but uhh at this point what can you do. I hope you liked it anyways and didn't mind the wait!


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